Alnylam Initiates Program to Develop RNAi Therapeutics for Spinal Cord Injury

[manouli]

http://press.arrivenet.com/bus/article.php/568765.html


Alnylam Initiates Program to Develop RNAi Therapeutics for Spinal Cord Injury
- New Program is Part of Therapeutic Alliance with Merck -
Distribution Source : PRNewswire

Date : Tuesday - January 25, 2005



CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , a leading therapeutic RNA interference (RNAi) company, today announced that it is initiating a program to develop RNAi therapeutics for spinal cord injury as part of its previously announced strategic collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc. to develop RNAi therapeutics and technology. The new program will focus on a specific drug target proposed by Merck, and Alnylam will proceed with preclinical development of an RNAi therapeutic for this target. The drug target is in the Nogo pathway, which plays a key role in preventing regeneration of nerves after injury, such as spinal cord injuries. An RNAi therapeutic that inhibits this pathway could potentially reduce or prevent paralysis caused by such injuries.





"The initiation of this program is another important step in our development of a robust pipeline of RNAi therapeutics for major unmet medical needs," commented John Maraganore, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Alnylam. "We are hopeful that the breakthrough therapeutic potential of RNAi can provide relief to the thousands of patients whose lives are dramatically impacted by spinal cord injuries."

Alnylam and Merck have entered into two separate, but complementary, strategic collaborations. The program to develop an RNAi therapeutic for spinal cord injury falls within the first of these collaborations, initiated in September 2003. The goals of this collaboration are to advance RNAi technology and to apply this technology to develop RNAi therapeutics that selectively target human diseases. For therapeutics development, Merck proposes potential targets to Alnylam, and if Alnylam develops a candidate RNAi therapeutic against a "Merck target" to a defined point in preclinical development, Merck may then opt to co-develop and co-promote this RNAi therapeutic with Alnylam. If Merck exercises this option it will pay Alnylam an option fee, reimburse Alnylam for fifty percent of its expenses previously incurred on the candidate RNAi therapeutic, and co-fund development from that point.

The second collaboration between Alnylam and Merck, initiated in June 2004, is focused on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other ocular diseases caused by abnormal growth or leakage of small blood vessels in the eye. This collaboration includes Alnylam's most advanced program, to develop a Direct RNAi(TM) Therapeutic targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for the treatment of the "wet" form of AMD.

About RNAi

RNA interference, or RNAi, is a naturally occurring mechanism within cells for selectively silencing and regulating specific genes that is potentially the basis for a new class of therapeutic products. Since many diseases are caused by the inappropriate activity of specific genes, the ability to silence and regulate such genes selectively through RNAi could provide a means to treat a wide range of human diseases. The discovery of RNAi has been heralded by many as a major breakthrough, and the journal Science named RNAi the top scientific achievement of 2002, as well as one of the top 10 scientific advances of 2003.

About Alnylam

Alnylam is a biopharmaceutical company seeking to develop and commercialize novel therapeutics based on RNA interference, or RNAi. Growing from its foundation as the world's first company focused on RNAi therapeutics, the company's leadership in the field of RNAi is supported by its preeminent founders and advisors and its strengths in fundamental patents, technology, and know-how that underlie the commercialization of RNAi therapeutics. Alnylam is developing a pipeline of RNAi products using Direct RNAi(TM) to treat ocular, central nervous system, and respiratory diseases and Systemic RNAi(TM) to treat a broad range of diseases, including oncologic, metabolic, and autoimmune diseases. The company's global headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For additional information, please visit http://www.alnylam.com/ .

Alnylam Forward-Looking Statements

Various statements in this release concerning our future expectations, plans, prospects and future operating results constitute forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including risks related to: our approach to discover and develop novel drugs, which is unproven and may never lead to marketable products; our ability to obtain additional funding to support our business activities; our dependence on third parties for development, manufacture, marketing, sales and distribution of our products; the successful development of products, all of which are in early stages of development; obtaining regulatory approval for products; competition from others using technology similar to ours and others developing products for similar uses; obtaining, maintaining and protecting intellectual property utilized by our products; and our short operating history; as well as those risks more fully discussed in the "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" section of our most recent Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent our views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward- looking statements.

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CONTACT: Alnylam Investor: Lilian Stern of Stern Investor Relations,
Inc., +1-212-362-1200; or Alnylam Media: Kathryn Morris of KMorris